Whose Bucket List?
Last month I ticked off one of my bucket list items – a backpacking trip in the Enchantments of Washington’s Cascades, a unique jewel and prized destination in the region. Because it’s so special and popular, you have to apply for a permit in February, then plan your trip around dates you may or may not get in the lottery. It always seemed like too much of a hassle, when there were other amazing places to visit. I hadn’t bothered until I made my bucket list a few years ago based on three questions posed by Vishen Lakiani in his book The Code of the Extraordinary Mind:
What do I want to experience?
How do I want to grow?
What do I want to contribute to the planet?
Five days in the Enchantments with my wife was on that list. Since I’ve made the list, I’ve become a life and leadership coach, deepened my relationships with my wife and closest family, and become more active in my neighborhood and the local bike club. I’ve biked through Tuscany, skied in Greenland, sailed and hiked in Northern Scotland, and visited New York City and London several times.
Writing stuff down and then repeatedly focusing on it is powerful!
Call it thoughts become things, or the power of prayer, or positive thinking, or what have you. Try it for yourself—put a sticky note where you’ll see it often or take a picture of it and use is as your opening screen on your phone. Just find a way to keep what you want in front of you, and watch as it comes true in some way.
With a little work, I think you'll find the tricky part is not getting what you want, but wanting what you get. In an age of social media compare and despair, it can be easy to want the life and things you see posted by your friends.
To get what you want, on a bucket list or in any other aspect of your life, ask yourself questions like the three above that focus on who you want to become, instead of what you want to possess or collect. These questions demand that you get to know yourself first before getting into action.
Helping people know themselves better, then taking action on what they learn, is what I do as a coach. Over time, this cycle repeats and expands as new learning comes from taking action, and new action flows from new learning, always moving toward a life more fully lived.
Want to know more about who you want to be, what you want to experience, how you want to grow, and how you want to contribute to the world? If so, go to my online scheduler and book a free 2 hour powerful conversation about you!
